A Tree which stands in a Lake District wood is the tallest in Cumbria and could be the largest in the North West.

The 57.8-metre giant grand fir in Skelghyll Wood, Ambleside, has also been recorded as the tallest of its species in England, breaking the previous Cumbrian record of 55 metres, which was held by a conifer at Thirlmere.

National Trust ranger John Pring got the idea to get the tree measured and recorded by the National Tree Register charity when driving through Ambleside.

He said: “I’ve driven on that main road (A591) in Ambleside for a long time and I just thought: ‘That really is a very big tree, I wonder how big it is? We were surprised just how tall it was when we measured it. There are some very big trees in the area but we didn’t realise how tall it actually was. This is just one of the thousands of big old trees the National Trust looks after in the area.”

Mr Pring, who has covered Windermere and Ambleside for 20 years, is now encouraging nature lovers to go to Skelghyll Wood and see the true scale of how tall the trees are for themselves and the grand fir, which was planted in 1860, looks set to continue growing and could push the 60-metre mark unless there are any accidents such as a storm blowing it over.

The tree was measured by tree climbers Mark Sigrift and Mick Lupton of Aspen Tree Management in Witherslack by dropping a long tape measure and using a badminton pole to attach a tape measure. “It just shows that the tree is happy with the climate there,” said Mr Pring. It’s only 160 years old so it is still growing.”

ZANY Steven Hall is urging people to vote for him after he performs in front of millions of TV viewers on Britain’s Got Talent tonight.

The 53-year-old telecommunications engineer will represent Cumbria when he takes to the stage for the live semi-final with a new dance routine.

Having taken the nation by storm with his eclectic two-minute act, which saw him perform a dance to The Birdy Song, The Macarena and The Twist, he has become an overnight success.

He has gained more than 1.5 million views on YouTube and more than a thousand fans on his official Facebook site.

So, what has he got lined up for the biggest performances of his life tonight?

“It was said: ‘How am I going to follow that?’ Because the element of surprise has gone,” he said.

“So I have taken what everybody said they would expect me to do next and not done it.”

Life has changed for the Burneside Amateur Theatrical Society member since he gained three ‘yes’ votes from Amanda Holden, Michael McIntyre and David Hasselhoff, and a standing ovation from the Liverpool crowd.

“It was the second best experience of my life, but I can’t tell you the first one,” he jokes.

“Since then, it has been so busy I haven’t had time to think about it.

"I have been to London several times for interviews and rehearsals.”

Having performed in theatres across the Lake District, Steven set up Comedy Showtime two years ago, a five-person act that puts on performances across the region.

From this, a 10-minute dance evolved which came to form the basis of his BGT audition.

If Steven is successful tonight, he will make it through to Saturday’s live final.

If victorious in the final, he will perform in front of The Queen at The Royal Variety Performance and win £100,000.

“I am nervous and confident about tonight,” he said.

“Nervous because Simon Cowell is back on the show and he is held in such anticipation about what he has thought of the acts that have gone through while he’s been away.